Sports
Pittsburgh Pirates Draft Temecula Valley High Grad
California Baptist and Temecula Valley standout Ryan Sharp is drafted in the 24th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Brian Sharp, a Temecula Valley High School graduate and one of the most decorated baseball players in Cal Baptist University history, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 24th round of the Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft.
Sharp was recently named Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The 6-foot, 195-pound junior shortstop was also selected a second-team NAIA All-American.
He led the Lancers in batting average (.352) this season and also topped the club in hits, runs, RBI, doubles and stolen bases. Sharp also ranked second on the team with 10 home runs and struck out just 13 times in 245 plate appearances.
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Sharp played under Jon Paino for three seasons at Temecula Valley, graduating in 2006. He hit .411 as a junior, when he led the Golden Bears to the CIF title, and .383 as a senior as Temecula reached the quarterfinals.
He spent the next two years at Palomar Community College, but did not play baseball there.
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The layoff didn’t seem to have much effect, as he immediately made his presence felt at Cal Baptist. Sharp moved into the starting lineup in right field as a freshman. He started at third base the following year before taking over at shortstop this past season.
Sharp’s play helped the Lancers to a 43-16 overall record this past season and a berth in the NAIA championships. Cal Baptist lost in the opening round to eventual NAIA champion, Concordia.
He hit .395 as a sophomore with 11 homers and 60 RBI while setting a school record with 35 steals, following a freshman season when he hit .302 with 23 steals. He is Cal Baptist’s career leader in stolen bases.
